Patent GB-709436-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to counting machines
IPC: G06M7/06
Filed: 1951-05-15
Abstract: 709,436. Counting-apparatus; zeroizing-mechanism. UNIVERSAL POSTAL FRANKERS, Ltd., and ANTHONY, H. H. May 15, 1952 [May 15, 1951] No. 1138951. Class 106 (1). [Also in Group XVI] A machine for counting currency notes, tickets, envelopes, cheques, postal orders; labels and other paper and card articles includes a series of rollers for'.advancing the articles to be counted from a feeding device through the machine to a receiving means, a motor for driving said rollers, an adjustable device adapted to permit the entry into the machine of only one article at a time, a counting mechanism for recording the passage of each article through the machine, means operable by the power drive of the machine for actuating the counting mechanism, and a device for initiating the operation of said means for actuating the counting mechanism, said device being adapted to be operated indirectly by said articles through the intermediary of a member which is adapted to be engaged by the surface of each article as it passes through the machine so as to avoid damage to the edge of the article. As described the machine frame comprises a base 5, Figs. 1, 2 and 3, and two side plates 1, 2 interconnected by spacing rods 4. The articles which are to be counted are placed on a tray 6, Figs. 2 and 6, from which they are individually fed through the machine to a stacking tray 7 the position of which is adjustable. Sheet-feeding.-The articles on the tray 6 are pressed against a pair of feed rollers 13, Figs. 2 and 6, by a pressure plate 15 carried by an arched arm 16 connected to a lever 17 rotatable on a shaft 18 and urged counterclockwise, Fig. 6, by an adjustable torsion spring 19, Fig. 2. Each article is fed from the tray 6 by the rollers 13 through the gap between a second pair of rollers 32 and the forward ends of two bars 30 adjustable longitudinally of the tray 6. The adjustment of said bars 30 is effected by screws 29 when the lever 17 is latched in a retracted position by a latch 26 and the gap is made such that only one article can pass. The article is then fed between guide plates 38, Fig. 6, between a driven roller 39 and a jockey roller 42 from which it is passed by a pair of driven rollers 46 and pressure rollers 49 between a lower guide plate 43 and a pair of upper guide plates 44 fixed to a transverse bar 45, Figs. 3 and 6. The article then passes between a printing device, operated as described later, and a roller 56 to a set of delivery rollers 58 from which it passes to the stacking tray 7. The diameters of the rollers 58 progressively decrease from the end rollers to the centre roller so that the article assumes a concave shape and its' edges do not obstruct the next article. The driven rollers are driven through gearing from a shaft 65, Fig. 1, rotated by a belt and pulley 63, 64, Figs. 1 and 2, from an electric motor 61. The drive to the shaft 33 of the rollers 32, Figs. 2 and 6, includes a friction clutch 76 so that the rollers 32 can be arrested by a brake mechanism as described later. Counter-actuation.-A trip mechanism is located between the feed rollers 46 and comprises a V-shaped bracket 94, 95, 96, Fig. 8, supporting a continuously rotated shaft 99 carrying a gear 98, Fig. 7, which co-operates with a mutilated gear 103 which has two diametrically opposed flats and which is mounted on a shaft 105. A hub 107 fixed to the shaft 105 has two opposed radially extending arms 108 to each of which is pivoted at 110 a trip finger 109. The fingers 109 are interconnected by a spring 111 and one of them normally engages an extension 115 of a flap 112 pivoted across an aperture 114 in the guide plate 43. When an article passes between the plates 43, 44 the flap 112 is depressed to move the finger 109 and thereby impart a sufficient clockwise movement to the gear 103 to bring it into mesh with the gear 98 by which it is rotated through 180 degrees. The rotation of the gear is transmitted through the shaft 105, collar 116, Geneva mechanism 117, 118, Fig. 8, and gearing 119, Fig. 2, to the counting mechanism. The shaft 105 is prevented from backward rotation by the pawls 121, 122, Fig. 6, which engage recesses in the collar 116. A forked lever 124, Fig. 9, fixed to a shaft 125 is connected by a link 129 to a disc 130 of an adjustable friction clutch 130, 131, Fig. 2, on the continuously rotated shaft 69 so that its two fingers 126 are located adjacent two projections 128 on a collar 127 fixed to the shaft 105. The arrangement is such that the fingers 126 and projections 128 coact to ensure that the rotation of the gear 103 and the shaft 105 is limited to 180 degrees at each actuation of the trip device. The slight movement imparted to the shaft 125 during this interaction trips the printing mechanism which then operates as described later. The machine can deal with articles of different widths since the flap 112 is not freed until the article has passed over it so keeping the trip finger 109 depressed. Printing.-The printing unit comprises a rod 138, Fig. 3, rotatably adjustably supported in two lugs 137 carried by the transverse bar 45, two end brackets 140 interconnected by a rod and supporting a shaft 142 which carries a hub 143 having one or more detachable type rings which coact with the roller 56 to print on the article. Two rollers 145 rotatable on the hub 143 maintain each article in contact with the roller 56. A bracket 147 carrying an inking roller 146, Fig. 6, is connected to the hub 143, Fig. 3, and is slidably adjustable along the rod 138. Adjacent the roller 56 the shaft 57 carries a friction clutch 152, Figs. 6 and 10, which includes a gear 153 which meshes with a gear 154 on the shaft 142, and a timing device comprising a stop plate 159 and a cam ptate 160. The plates 159, 160 are angularly adjustable with respect to each other so that the relative positions of their respective projections 164, 165, Fig. 11, may be varied. The gears 153, 154 are normally locked by the engagement of the end of a pivoted lever 168, Figs. and 7, with a projection 169 on a ring 170, Fig. 3, integral with the gear 154. The plates 159, 160 are normally locked by the engagement of a latch lever 173; Fig. 7, carried by the shaft 125, with one of the projections 164. When the trip mechanism allows the shaft 105 to be rotated, as described above, the forked lever, 124 and the shaft 125, Fig. 7, are moved so that the lever 173 frees the plates 159, 160 which are rotated by the clutch 152 whereupon the adjacent projection 165 rocks the lever 168, Fig. 6, to free the ring 170 so that the hub 143, Fig. 3, is rotated by the clutch 152 through gears 154, 153 for one revolution when the lever 168 again locks the ring 170. The position between the leading and trailing edges of each article at which the printing is effected depends on the relative positions of the adjacent projections 164, 165 and is therefore adjustable. The transverse position of the printing is determined by the location of the bracket 147 along the rod 138, Fig. 3. Brake mechanism.-A brake shoe 37, Fig. 6, spaced from the rollers 32 a distance sufficient to permit the passage of one article is mounted at the end of a rod 174 longitudinally slidable in a bracket 175 fixed to the tray 6 and is connected to an arm 176 on a rod 177, Fig. 12, which also carries a lever 179 the outer end of which normally latches a finger 180 carried by a shaft 181. A latch finger 183 rotatably adjustable on the shaft 181 normally engages under pressure of a spring 188, Fig. 2, a projection 186, Fig. 12, of a disc 187 free on the shaft 33 and urged counter-clockwise by a spring 189. A brake block 190, Figs. 2, 12 and 13, is loosely connected at one end to the projection 186 and at the other end to a plate 193, Figs. 2 and 12, free on a bush 194 formed on the plate 1. The brake block 190 has a groove 197, Fig. 13, through which passes the outer end of a brake disc 198 fixed to the shaft 33. The block 190 is normally positioned so that the disc 198 passes between the faces 199b and 200b of the groove 197. If, however, more than one article passes between the rollers 32 and the shoe 37, the shoe 37 is depressed to rock the shaft 177 whereupon the lever 179, Fig. 12, moves the finger 180 so that the latch 183 frees the disc 187 which is pulled counter-clockwise by the spring 189 and moves the block 190 which as its pin 192 meets a stop 195, Fig. 2, is slewed round to bring the two faces 199a, 200a of the groove 197, Fig. 13, against the brake disc 198 which is thereby arrested so stopping the rollers 32. The shaft 33 may be rotated backwardly by a manual operated knob 201, Fig. 2, and the brake block moved by a lever 202 to clear the obstruction. Zeroizing.-The counter mechanism comprises a grand total counter 203 and a sub-total counter 204. The counter 204 has a zeroizing shaft 212 which operates in known manner and carries a gear 211 which is connected through an idler gear 210 to a gear 208 which is connected through a spring clutch to the shaft 205. The spring clutch comprises a coil spring 213 wound round the bush 209 of the gear 208 and a sleeve 214 fixed to the shaft 205. The spring 213 is normally prevented from rotating with the sleeve 214 by a pivoted spring pressed arm 216, Figs. 2 and 14, which abuts one end 215 of the spring 213. When the arm 216 is depressed by manual movement of a rod 223 the gear 208 is driven by the shaft 205 and drives the zeroizing shaft 212 through the gears 210, 211. After one revolution of the gear 208 the arm 216 again abuts the end 215 of the spring 213. At the same time a lever 219 is pulled By a spring 221 to the foot of a shoulder 222 of a cam 220 secured to the bush 209 so that the cam 220 is slightly moved to release the spring 213 from the bush 209. If desired the shaft 212 could be manually rotatable.